Elevated Systemic Inflammation Is Associated with Reduced Corticolimbic White Matter Integrity in Depression

(1) Background: Growing evidence indicates that inflammation can induce neural circuit dysfunction and plays a vital role in the pathogenesis of major depressive disorder (MDD). Nevertheless, whether inflammation affects the integrity of white matter pathways is only beginning to be explored. (2) Methods: We computed quantitative anisotropy (QA) from diffusion magnetic resonance imaging as an index of white matter integrity and regressed QA on C-reactive protein (CRP), controlling for age, sex, and BMI, in 176 participants with MDD. (3) Results: The QA values of several white matter tracts were negatively correlated with CRP concentration (standardized beta coefficient = −0.22, 95%CI = −0.38–−0.06, FDR < 0.05). These tracts included the bilateral cortico-striatal tracts, thalamic radiations, inferior longitudinal fasciculi, corpus callosum (the forceps minor portion and the tapetum portion), cingulum bundles, and the left superior longitudinal fasciculus III. Importantly, the association remained robust after regressing up to twelve potential confounders. The bilateral fornix and a small portion of the thalamic radiation showed a positive association with CRP levels, but these associations did not remain significant after adjusting for confounders. (4) Conclusions: Peripheral inflammation may contribute to the etiology of MDD by impacting the microstructural integrity of brain corticolimbic white matter pathways.

Dukungan Sosial dan Kepercayaan Diri Terhadap Keterbukaan Diri Pada Remaja Di Panti Asuhan Tenggarong

Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk menguji secara empirik pengaruh dukungan sosial dan kepercayaan diri terhadap keterbukaan diri remaja di panti asuhan Tenggarong. Penelitian ini menggunakan pendekatan kuantitatif. Subjek penelitian adalah remaja dengan usia 12-18 tahun sebanyak 100 orang. Teknik sampel yang digunakan adalah purposive sampling. Alat ukur dalam penelitian ini menggunakan skala keterbukaan diri, skala dukungan sosial, dan skala kepercayaan diri. Skala tersebut disusun dengan model skala likert. Penelitian ini menggunakan IBM statistik SPSS versi 25. Hasil penelitian ini menunjukkan bahwa terdapat pengaruh dukungan sosial dan kepercayaan diri terhadap keterbukaan diri remaja di panti asuhan Tenggarong, dengan nilai signifikan (P) 0.000 dan F hitung 5.509 dengan besar pengaruh 10.2% . Pada dukungan sosial terhadap keterbukaan diri remaja di panti asuhan terdapat pengaruh dengan nilai koefisien beta (β) 0.247, serta nilai t hitung 2.436, t tabel 1.984, dan (p) 0.017. Pada kepercayaan diri terhadap keterbukaan diri remaja di panti asuhan tidak terdapat pengaruh dengan nilai koefisien beta (β) 0.139, serta t hitung 1.366, t tabel 1.984, dan (p) 0.175. This study aims to empirically examine the influence of social support and self-confidence on adolescent self-disclosure in Tenggarong orphanages. This study uses a quantitative approach. The subjects of the study were 100 adolescents aged 11-17 years. The sample technique used is purposive random sampling. Measuring instruments in this study use a scale of self-disclosure, scale of social support, and scale of self-confidence. The scale is arranged by likert scale model. This study uses IBM statistical spss version 25. The results of this study indicate that there is an influence of social support and confidence in adolescent self-disclosure in the Tenggarong orphanage, with a significant value (P) 0,000 and Fcount 5,509 with a large influence of 10.2%. In social support for adolescent self-disclosure in orphanages there is an influence with the beta coefficient value (β) 0.400, and the value of t count 2.436, t table 1.984, and (p) 0.017. In self-confidence in adolescent self-disclosure in orphanages there is an influence with the coefficient value of beta (β) 0.139, t count 1.336, t table 1.984, and (p) 0.175.

Pengaruh Intensitas Penggunaan Media Sosial dan Fanatisme Terhadap Perilaku Konsumtif

Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengetahui pengaruh intensitas penggunaan media sosial dan fanatisme terhadap perilaku konsumtif (studi pada fandom ARMY SMR) di Kota Samarinda. Penelitian ini menggunakan pendekatan kuantitatif. Subjek penelitian ini adalah 60 orang fandom ARMY SMR yang dipilih dengan menggunakan teknik purposive sampling. Metode pengumpulan data yang digunakan adalah skala perilaku konsumtif, skala intensitas penggunaan media sosial dan skala fanatisme. Data yang terkumpul dianalisis dengan uji analisis regresi berganda dengan bantuan program Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) 22.0 for windows. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa: (1) ada pengaruh dan signifikan intensitas penggunaan media sosial dan fanatisme terhadap perilaku konsumtif pada fandom ARMY SMR yang melakukan perilaku konsumtif dengan nilai f hitung > f table (7.626 > 0.211) dan nilai p=0.001 (p<0.05). Kontribusi pengaruh (R2) intensitas penggunaan media sosial dan fanatisme dengan perilaku konsumtif pada fandom ARMY SMR yang melakukan perilaku konsumtif adalah sebesar 0,211; (2) ada pengaruh intensitas penggunaan media sosial terhadap perilaku konsumtif pada fandom ARMY SMR yang melakukan perilaku konsumtif dengan koefisien beta (β)=0.453, serta nilai t hitung > t tabel (3.851 > 2.002) dan nilai p=0.000 (p< 0.05); (3) tidak ada pengaruh fanatisme terhadap perilaku konsumtif pada fandom ARMY SMR yang melakukan perilaku konsumtif dengan koefisien This study aims to find out the influence of the intensity of social media use and fanaticism on consumptive behavior (study on ARMY SMR fandom) in Samarinda City. This research uses a quantitative approach. The subjects of this study were 60 ARMY SMR fandom people who were selected using purposive sampling techniques. The data collection methods used are the consumptive behavior scale, the intensity scale of social media use and the fanaticism scale. The collected data was analyzed with multiple regression analysis tests with the help of the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) 22.0 for windows program. The results showed that: (1) there was an influence and significant intensity of social media use and fanaticism on consumptive behavior in ARMY SMR fandoms that performed consumptive behavior with a value of f calculated > f table (7,626 > 0.211) and a value of p = 0.001 (p<0.05). The contribution of influence (R2) intensity of social media use and fanaticism with consumptive behavior in army SMR fandom that commits consumptive behavior is 0.211; (2) there is an influence on the intensity of social media use on consumptive behavior in ARMY SMR fandom that performs consumptive behavior with beta coefficient (β)=0.453, as well as a t-count value of > t table (3,851 > 2,002) and a value of p=0.000 (p< 0.05); (3) there is no influence of fanaticism on consumptive behavior in ARMY SMR fandoms that perform consumptive behavior with beta coefficient (β)= -0.070, and t calculate < t table (-0.594 < 0.05) and value p = 0.555 (p> 0.05).

Perceived Stress and Burnout among Nursing Personnel Working in a Tertiary Care Hospital: a Cross-sectional Study in Eastern India

Purpose: Perceived stress and burnout are by-products of physiological and psychological burdens among nursing personnel. Physical and psychological stress is a perennial issue among the health care providers, especially among nurses in the resource constrained settings. With this endeavor, we have tried to examine the burden of perceived stress and burnout among the nurses in tertiary care settings. Along with the burden, we have also looked at a few new set of potential determinants for the aforementioned outcomes. Methodology: An institution-based cross-sectional study was carried out to assess the level of perceived stress, burnout amongst the nursing personnel working at various levels, in a tertiary care Hospital, Bhubaneswar, Odisha, India. The total enumeration sampling technique was used along with pre-defined inclusion and exclusion criteria. After accounting for the pre-defined inclusion and exclusion criteria, we arrived at a sample size of 401 to be interviewed for the study. Cohen perceived stress scale and Maslach’s Burnout Inventory, were used for assessing the perceived stress and burnout, respectively. Findings: The study revealed that stress [Low: 9.2%, Moderate: 87.3% and High: 3.5%], emotional exhaustion [Low: 20.4%, Moderate: 45.1% and High: 34.4%] and depersonalization [Low: 10%, Moderate: 26.7% and High: 63.3%] is prevalent among nurses in private tertiary care. They also had low perceived personal accomplishment [Low: 63.6%, Moderate: 22.9% and High: 13.3%]. 8 or more hours of duty per day [beta coefficient 1.36, 95% confidence interval 0.42 – 2.31] and 8 or more numbers of night duties per month [beta coefficient 1.76, 95% confidence interval 0.52 – 3.00] emerged as significant risk factors for stress when compared to 6 hours of duties per day and no night duties per month. Similarly, higher night duties [up to 7: beta coefficient 1.76, 95% confidence interval 0.52 – 3.00 and 8 or more: beta coefficient 1.6, 95% confidence interval 0.42 – 2.77] emerged as a significant risk factor for emotional exhaustion when compared to no night duties. Practical Implications: Our study findings provide an estimation of stress and burnout burden prevalence in tertiary care and associated factors that will be helpful in advocating policy changes and targeted interventions. The level of stress and burnout among nurses is increasing in tertiary care, therefore, policies should be formulated to identify and take appropriate preventive measures. The coping mechanisms should be promoted for health care providers, especially for the nursing personnel. This paper can pave a path to examine the relationship of life aspirations and their effect on burnout, which will be a valuable addition to the existing body of knowledge in the domain of burnout Originality: Having used cross-sectional study design and the robust method of linear regression analysis technique, our study found some novel results that will add valuable knowledge in furthering the understanding of burnout among the nurses and in general.

Does Firms’ Working Capital Efficiency Matter in Dividend Payout: Empirical Evidence from India

The objective of this study is to assess the impact of working capital efficiency (WCE) (proxied by net trade cycle ( NTC)) on the dividend payout (proxied by dividend payout ratio ( DPR)) of the listed non-financial Indian firms. This study addresses the research gap in the literature about the influence of WCE on firms’ earnings distributed to equity shareholders as dividends in the Indian market. We have used secondary data of 150 firms that were listed on the Bombay Stock Exchange for the period 2012–2018 and analysed the data of the sample firms using the Tobit regression model. Our results indicate a negative and significant relationship between the NTC and the DPR of the sample firms. However, the beta coefficient of NTC was found to be very small, suggesting that the lower NTC may not inevitably generate a higher DPR of firms in the Indian context.

Methodological aspects of evaluating a company’s investment attractiveness

The actual problems of choosing tools for risk assessment and predicted profitability (attractiveness) of an investment object are studied. There is a close relationship between the financial multipliers DIV/FCF, P/E Shiller, EV/EBITDA and risk indicators, which gives the investor the opportunity to make additional operational forecasts when analyzing an investment project. A number of key financial multipliers (P/S, EV/S, P/OCF, P/FCF) have been identified, and it is not entirely correct to use them as criteria for making an investment decision. The expediency of using the EV/EBITDA multiplier for making forecasts about the volatility of the return on shares of a certain company is justified, since this is the only indicator among the financial multipliers selected for analysis that has a relationship with the beta coefficient. Recommendations for forming a sample of necessary indicators (multipliers) when making investment decisions by various stakeholders are proposed.

تحليل العائد والمخاطر لأسهم المحفظة الاستثمارية لعينة المصارف التجارية العراقية الخاصة للمدة 2015-2019

The importance of the research lies in revealing the ability of private Iraqi commercial banks to maximize bank returns by attracting investments in the Iraq Stock Exchange, and the aim of the research is to how to manage the investment portfolio of private Iraqi commercial banks in the Iraq Stock Exchange and in a manner that achieves the highest return and the least risk, in addition In order to know which of those banks has an optimal portfolio, the research assumed that there was an effect of forming an investment portfolio in maximizing the return and reducing the risks for the banks. Statistical methods such as the variance rate, standard deviation and (beta) coefficient were used in measuring the return and risk of stocks to analyze the data. In the fluctuation of the achieved return of shares and the achieved return of the market from one year to another within the period, as well as the change in risk for bank shares from one year to another and during the period and the researcher made some proposals in the form of recommendations to increase the effectiveness of these banks in their investments, the most important of which was how to manage the investment portfolio in banks and increase investment awareness The investors and the need to adhere to the instructions of the Iraq Stock Exchange, as well as work to attract harm Invest in order to increase circulation in the market.

Loneliness in Young Adults During the First Wave of COVID-19 Lockdown: Results From the Multicentric COMET Study

The COVID-19 pandemic has affected the mental and physical health of the general population at any age, but it is expected to have a protracted and severe consequences for younger populations. The pandemic has had several consequences on mental health including anger and irritability, depressive symptoms and somatic complaints, insomnia, lack of motivation, and loneliness. In particular, loneliness and its related negative feelings are thought to be particularly pronounced during young adulthood because of the many social changes that young people deal with during this period of life. Therefore, it is essential to evaluate the type of impact of the pandemic on the mental health of young people and their levels of loneliness experienced during the first phase of the lockdown. Based on the largest Italian study on the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the mental health of general population, in this paper we aim to: (1) describe the levels of loneliness in a national sample of Italian young adults aged 18–34 years, during the first wave of lockdown in 2020; (2) evaluate the clinical and socio-demographic differences in young adults reporting low vs. high levels of loneliness; (3) assess the role of clinical symptomatology, coping strategies, levels of resilience, and duration of lockdown as possible predictors of loneliness. The final sample consists of 8,584 people, mainly female (72.6%), single, with a mean age of 26.4 (±4.4) years. The mean score at the UCLA was 47.5 (±13.6), with 27% (N = 2,311) of respondents exceeding the cut-off for high levels of loneliness. High levels of loneliness were predicted by the presence of avoidant coping strategies, such as self-distraction (Beta coefficient, B = 0.369, 95% Confidence Interval, CI = 0.328–0.411), venting (B = 0.245, 95% CI = 0.197–0.293), denial (B = 0.110, 95% CI = 0.061–0.159), and emotional disengagement (B = 0.133, 95% CI = 0.080–0.185). Weeks of exposure to the pandemic were significantly associated with worsening of loneliness (p &lt; 0.000). There is currently considerable interest in trying to reduce loneliness, both within the context of COVID-19 and more generally. Our results highlight that young people are at a higher risk of developing loneliness and suggest that more interventions and practical guidelines are needed.

Risk Management Practices and Shareholders’ Return Using Evidence from Quoted Commercial Bank in Nigeria

This study examined the effect of risk management practices on shareholders’ return of quoted commercial banks in Nigeria. Cross sectional data were sourced from financial statements of commercial banks and Central Bank of Nigeria Statistical bulletin from various years. Shareholders return was proxied by return on equity and return on assets while risk management practices were modeled by bank risk diversification, Basel risk compliance, credit monitoring and credit appraisal. Panel data methodology was employed while the fixed effects model was used as an estimation technique at 5% level of significance. Fixed effects, random effects and pooled estimates were tested while the Hausman test was used to determine the best fit of the regression model. Panel unit root and panel co-integration analysis were conducted on the study. The study found that 60 per cent variations in return on equity of the quoted commercial banks can be traced to variations in risk management practices as formulated in the regression model. The beta coefficient of the risk management practices proved that risk diversification, Basel compliance, credit monitoring and credit appraisal methods as formulated in the regression model have positive effect on return on equity of the commercial banks. In the model II, 47.6 percent variations in return on assets of the quoted commercial banks can be traced to variations in risk management practices as formulated in the regression model. The beta coefficient of the risk management practices proved that risk diversification, Basel compliance, credit monitoring and credit appraisal methods as formulated in the regression model have positive effect on return on equity of the commercial banks. The study concludes that risk management practices have a positive effect on shareholders’ return. The study recommends that commercial banks managements should ensure that all the board members and executive managements amongst other stakeholders are trained to appreciate the functions and responsibilities of credit risk management. The study recommends also that banks should ensure that their credit exposures are adequately secured through proper scrutiny of loan processing in order to identify viable projects so as to reduce loan defaults by bank customers.

Associations of Adverse Childhood Experiences with Executive Function and Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor

Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) may predict markers of neurocognitive performance (i.e., executive function; EF) and brain health/plasticity (i.e., brain-derived neurotropic factor; BDNF). This pilot examined the magnitude of effects between: 1) ACES and EF performance, 2) ACEs and BDNF levels, and 3) EF performance and BDNF levels. We hypothesize that higher ACEs will be associated with poorer EF scores and lower BNDF levels and that lower EF scores will be associated with lower BDNF levels. Given the pilot nature of the study, an emphasis is placed on effect size vs. significance. Participants were 36 middle-aged women enrolled in the NICE SPACES trial (age=31.4 years, BMI=34.2, racially minoritized=37.9%). ACES were quantified using the 10-item Adverse Childhood Experiences Scale. EF was measured using the fluid cognition composite from the NIH Toolbox – Cognition Battery. BDNF was estimated using proBDNF levels estimated from serum collected via venipuncture. Higher ACEs levels were not directly associated with EF scores (b = 0.03, p = .854); but did show a meaningful negative beta coefficient with BDNF levels (b = -0.34, p = .053). EF scores and BDNF showed a positive coefficient that did not reach significance (b = .26, p = .122). In a modest pilot of middle-age women, higher ACEs were associated with lower BDNF, indicating greater adversity in childhood is linked to lower neurotrophins levels in adulthood. The lower BDNF levels may help explain poorer performance on cognitive tasks. Larger follow-up studies in more powered samples are warranted given the size of detected coefficients.